"Something's going on."

Alexia rolled her eyes. "It's literally a war, Lils."

Lily shoved her. "James knows. He knows something's weird between you and Dolohov."

She tensed. "There's always been weird shit between us. He likes to complicate my life."

"I'm not going to force you to tell me, Alex, but I think you should be careful. We're fighting a war. You never know what he might-,"

Alexia rolled her eyes. "You think he's going to slip to Voldemort that I take extra cream in my coffee? Or that I never finish my paperwork in time?"

"No, it's just-,"

"Because Lily, anything else you're worried he might tell him, he won't or he can't. Our work is protected by extensive vows and everything else… unimportant."

Lily sighed. "Mad-Eye thinks you're trying to sleep through Death Eaters to bring them to our side."

Alexia choked on the water she was drinking. When she put the cup down, she threw her head back in laughter. "Yeah, you caught me. That's my plan."

"Thought so," Lily grinned. "Your brother owes me ten galleons."

"For what?"

"I told him you'd think it's funny," she explained. "He wanted to fight for your honor or some dumb brotherly shit."

Alexia rolled her eyes. "Jamie's never quite going to get it through his head that I'm an adult, and I've literally been one this whole time. I never slept with Lucius, I never slept with Regulus."

"That's what I thought."

"Now, I've got you over here at bloody five in the morning to plan your wedding, not to discuss the bane of my existence and Moody's weird obsession with my sex life. So, blush or creme for the table spreads?"

Alexia's eyes opened and she breathed out slowly. She was leaning against the wall of the classroom and watching as Salazar arranged the desks for the next class, where they'd all need to have a better view of him.

Students had arrived a few days prior, and it had been an odd experience. They'd been confused by her presence but had accepted it. She'd been assisting in some classes and found she'd missed teaching from her time in the DA.

"Alexia?"

"Huh?" she blinked, startled to find Salazar moving over. He touched her arm lightly, and she hesitated to touch him. She left her hands at her sides instead.

"Was it another memory?"

She nodded. "Lily and I were discussing the war while planning her and Jamie's wedding. It's getting… it's easier now when they come back. Like closing my eyes and thinking of it rather than being so debilitating."

"Good. Hopefully that means that you're beginning to reach the end of your blocked memories."

"I don't know," she sighed. "It still feels like there's a lot missing."

Salazar frowned lightly. "You are concerned about Dolohov."

"I don't understand the nature of our relationship or why there even is one and it's making me nervous," she admitted.

"But there is something else."

She hesitated. "Sal, I just have this feeling… that I have someone. I don't want to lead you on or give you the wrong impression. The more of these memories I see, the surer I am, and I'm sorry."

Salazar sighed and leaned against a desk. "I had considered the possibility, of course. This changes nothing. I still care for you, and I want to see you safe."

"But you will stay here, yes?"

"No," he laughed shortly. "I have made up my mind. I will ensure you return to your rightful time safely and are safe there. The only way I can do that is by joining you."

"You can't just leave your friends," she argued quickly, her voice rising a little in frustration. "You can't just leave the school!"

"But you have told me yourself that I will."

"Because you don't want to teach muggleborn students," she rolled her eyes. Her back to the door, she didn't spot the student that stopped in the doorway to stare at their argument.

"And if I don't?"

She smacked his chest. "Don't even joke about that! You have to teach them, all of them!"

"I don't have to do anything," he snapped back. "I will do what I believe is right. As of now, that isn't teaching anyone, much less muggleborns."

Alexia threw her arms up in frustration. "You know what this looks like, Sal. Abandoning the school." She spun around at the sound of a gasp. She barely caught sight of the student running away and she glared up at him. "You knew he was there."

"And thus begins the rumor of why I will leave," he said with a light and infuriating smirk. "I have made up my mind, Lexi. I will be coming with you."

She was spared a response by a small onslaught of memories hitting her. She stumbled back a little and grabbed the edge of the desk to keep herself up.

"I come searching for my cousin, Malyshka-,"

She tensed at the sight of the memory, watching until it ended and swapped to another. When it finished and she was released from her memories, she stumbled backwards and away from Salazar, grabbing her head in stress and confusion. "No, no, no… I can't- no."

"Alexia, breathe," he requested, moving closer. She just stepped back again, so he stopped where he was. "What did you see?"

"I don't belong here," she whispered. "I shouldn't- how did I get here?"

"You fell-,"

"No, no, Sal, I mean here, this- this… universe."

His eyebrows rose significantly. "This universe."

"I don't belong here, I'm not from here," she whispered. "I know what happened. I know- I know how I got here. It's confusing, a lot doesn't make sense but I know… how I came to be in the past."

He watched her tense with another memory and waited as calmly as he could for it to pass. When her eyes opened again, they were dark. "Alexia…"

"I understand. I… I understand."

"What is it?"

"I'm not from this universe," she said quietly. "I'm from somewhere else. I was sent here to keep me safe, and to help a friend be healed from a curse. I made a Vow to get her healed. That's why I'm here, why I'm still here. I promised to help him build a machine, his own machine and he- he was out getting parts for me and Kastya showed up looking for him, he- he sent me back on purpose. God knows why, but Kastya did it. I don't know the curse he used to suppress my memories, it was- he said Ushla Pamyat'. It means, literally, gone memories. He cast it twice, that's why- that's why it's so bad."

Salazar looked overwhelmed. "Another universe?"

She nodded. "I was in danger at home. Feliks- I think it was bad. I don't remember that much but I remember… I was so fucking scared of him. So I took her and brought her here to get the curse removed and he made me make the Vow to stay and… fuck."

"You are in danger."

Her eyes shot to his. "Sal-,"

"I will be coming with you."

"You can't!"

"I am."

"This is ridiculous," she huffed. She crossed her arms and hurried out of the room, more than exhausted with him. As she was turning the corner after heading up a few flights of stairs, she caught sight of Godric speaking with a student. She made her way over and waited as he finished helping the young woman. Once they were finished, he looked to her with a bright smile.

"Lexi! You look angry."

"Your friend is going to get himself cursed," she informed him before quickly changing the subject when he chuckled. "I was hoping you could help me find something."

"And what would that be?"

She hesitated slightly. "A soul bond."

His eyebrows rose. "You have a soul bond?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I think maybe. When Sal and I… er, when we kissed, I felt something. It hurt a bit inside, and it made me just… unbearably sad and lonely, like I was missing someone I can't remember."

"So you think you have a soul bond with someone, and you want me to tell you who," he realized. He sighed and led her down the halls and to the office he shared with his friends - which, luckily, was empty at the moment. "I will do what I can, of course, but it isn't quite that simple. I can find the bond if one exists, but I can't tell you who it leads to."

Though she looked slightly disappointed, Alexia nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

She held still as he raised his wand at her, ignoring the urge to raise hers back. The magic touched her core and she gasped as a bond lit up within her. It felt painful as it led to nowhere, whoever it belonged to not having been born yet. "Oh, Jesus," she breathed, closing her eyes. Ignoring the pain, she relaxed into the feeling of the bond and felt remnants of comfort through it. "Gods."

"That is the brightest soul bond I think I've ever seen," Godric admitted, eyes wide. "How does it feel?"

"Painful," she answered. "Beautiful."

"Keep going over those memories with Sal," Godric told her. She opened her eyes and released the bond with a frown. He put his hand up. "I know. He can be… infuriating, but you must work with him. He is the way back to your memories, to your time. Work with him, Lexi, and you will get home."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I just don't get it."

Alexia sighed. "It's a tough potion, but if you keep working on the wand movements-,"

"No, not the potion," the student, Arya, shook her head. She stepped a little closer and lowered her voice. "Professor Slytherin, I mean. He's always seemed so kind to muggleborns, but lately, he… he's different."

"What do you mean?" she frowned.

"He won't help them as much," Arya continued, her brow furrowed. "He gives them different, worse instructions in class, closes office hours when they come around, gives them low grades. Plus, Darian overheard you two fighting and he said Professor Slytherin said he doesn't want to teach them anymore."

Alexia groaned and rubbed her forehead. "It- it's complicated. It isn't that he doesn't want to teach them, it's just…"

"What? Because everyone's convinced he's… just hateful now."

"No, it- it's hard to explain," Alexia grimaced. "Look, I'll talk to him and he'll explain to everyone. I promise, it isn't what it seems."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Alexia had gone to Godric instead of Salazar. She knew Sal wouldn't listen to her, but Godric? Maybe. In the meantime, Godric told her to pretend like nothing had happened, so she'd met Sal in the dungeons after classes and they were in position to work on her mind again.

Quietly, he cast the spell to enter her mind, and then quickly cast the spell on the wall of memories before them.

The memory began with a jinx hitting her. Alexia took a moment to heal the jinx before she turned on the woman. "What is your problem? First you hex your own daughter, now me? I've never fucking met you, you insane witch!"

"You're tainting my family," Druella hissed.

"Who is she? Why did she curse you?" Salazar asked. Alexia rolled her eyes.

"Druella Black," she explained. "Narcissa's mum. She cursed Cissa's sister and a friend, Andromeda, during wedding planning for Narcissa and Lucius. So, this happened."

"Fucking Merlin, this is Narcissa's wedding! Can't you just pretend to be civil until it's over? It might be hard, but surely you've got the self restraint for that!"

"Avada Ked-,"

An arm grabbed Alexia around the waist and tugged her to the side, just barely saving her from the killing curse that instead slammed into the wall. She stumbled a little and grabbed onto the person to steady herself, even as he raised his wand to Druella.

"I think you're done here," Antonin growled.

"Are you a blood traitor, too?" Druella asked, sneering at him.

"What I am is a Death Eater that can influence the future of your daughters," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Leave her alone."

After the older witch stalked away, he stepped back to look at Alexia critically. "You make it increasingly difficult to protect you, Hermione. I'm starting to think you just miss me."

She rolled her eyes with a short laugh. "Thank you, Antonin. I didn't think she was that bloody insane, trying to kill me here."

"You underestimate the Black insanity."

"Wasn't she a Rosier by birth?"

He waved her off. "It seems to be infectious. That theory is supported by you."

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why do you care for me when I'm so…"

"Disagreeable?" he offered. She made a face at him, offended.

"I was going to say… complicated. Everything in my life is complicated."

He chuckled and tugged lightly at a piece of her hair that had fallen in her face. "It is only the circumstances you find yourself in that are complicated. You are exceedingly simple, actually. I see you very clearly, Hermione."

Alexia met his gaze. "But you're still a mystery to me for the most part."

"You are very comfortable with him," Salazar whispered, watching the scene play out. "He clearly cares for you greatly."

"Yeah, he does," she whispered back, her own eyes wide.

"You care for him, too."

"Yes."

"Must your friends know everything you do? Everyone you speak to?"

"See, this guy tried to kill me a few years ago, so they're pretty nervous about leaving me alone now."

Dolohov hummed and pushed her hair gently behind her ear. The motion gave her shivers. She found herself unwilling to leave, despite how close they stood. "When you go back to Hogwarts, write me."

They left the memory but stayed in her mind. He had a million questions for her, but before he could begin asking them, another memory hit them.

The Wizengamot was full that day. Many Lords had brought their heirs, including the Potters and Malfoys. As they waited for the meeting to begin, they were socializing, and Lucius had somehow made his way over to Alexia on his way to Travers. "You look…"

"Exhausted," Alexia finished for him. "It's my seventh year. I should be focused on exams, not leaving in the middle of class for a raid."

"It must be difficult, considering," he said, looking rather sad for her. "I'm sorry. Have you been sleeping?"

She laughed shortly. "Do I ever?" He frowned, so she touched his hand, James blocking sight of it. "Don't worry, Lucius. I'll make it through."

"I will always worry," he disagreed, beginning to scoot past James. "Be safe, Alexia."

"You too, Lucius."

As the memory swapped, she sighed. "He graduated before I did and was forced into the war. The Wizengamot was basically the only time we saw one another that I can recall."

"He seemed like a good friend."

"He was."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I only suggested it because-,"

"I said I don't want to talk about it, Antonin," she shot him a glare. "It's fine."

"It can be manipulated," he disagreed. "You have two, my Dorogaya. Both are dangerous and both are information Bertie should have."

"He already knows I have a preliminary soul bond with Sirius," she made a face at him. "Alphard told him years ago."

He handed her a cup of coffee as he spelled it to stir itself, mixing in the cream and sugar he'd put in. She took it gratefully and watched as he returned to his desk with his own cup in hand. "And he should know about ours so he can put up protections."

Alexia gasped sharply, stepping back despite being in a memory. "How- I don't-,"

She was interrupted by the memory swapping, and they watched it play out, eyes wide.

"If you cared for him, he wouldn't be dead!" Sirius snapped at her.

"Padfoot-," James called from a table in the back, his tone warning.

"I did care for him," she insisted. He got up and pulled his wand. She got up too, hoping she could convince him to leave to argue. "But he should have been safe! Be pissed at me all you want, but stop acting like a child!"

"Diffindo!"

When the confusion cleared up, Regulus had pulled Sirius back and Antonin had grabbed Alexia gently, pushing her behind him. Her shoulder was bleeding, and it infuriated him. "Do not touch her again," he warned, his voice low.

Alexia's eyes were on Regulus, who was glaring openly. "Reg, please-,"

"I won't let you ruin another relationship."

Before she knew what was happening or could respond, Antonin was pulling her into the house. They didn't stop until they reached a bedroom, which she quickly realized was the one she was staying in. He sat her down on the bed and pulled his wand to heal the deep gash on her shoulder and neck. "This is deep," he told her quietly. He healed it as much as possible with his wand before looking at her expectantly. "Dittany."

"Oh," she breathed.

He healed her up after she handed him the potion, and it took nine drops. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do for your robes."

After everything, she burst out laughing.

"I have no clue what I'd do without you anymore," she admitted. "Who told you that you can come to the rescue like that all the fucking time?"

"I don't need permission to protect what I care about, Hermione."

She shifted at the unexpected butterflies. "You may be one of the simplest relationships I have right now. I really need that."

"I have nowhere to go," he told her, a quiet and simple promise. She met his eyes and this time, she wasn't startled by how close they were, nor by the way the space between them continues to disappear. She closed her eyes and a moment later, felt his lips on hers.

It was possibly the strangest feeling she'd ever felt. There was a slight tingle in the kiss, but it was deeply pleasant and had her opening her lips slightly.

She quickly focused on pulling them out of the memory. Once she had, they sat in her mind quietly for a moment. Finally, she asked the question that had been bothering her for a while. "That… feeling. That was… he and I have a soul bond, don't we?"

"Yes," he answered her softly. "You do. A very… strong one at that."

"Fuck," she whispered.

There was silence for a moment before he spoke again. "I don't understand. He hurt you, but you…"

"Things changed," she sighed. "He's hurt me, yes. At first because of pride. Later because… I made him."

"You remember more?"

"Yes, I… I remember a lot more. It's like that memory, it held a lot back. I remember a lot about him, about us now."

"Like what?"

It was a mere moment before she let them be pulled into another memory, this one not surprising to her.

Antonin walked in the room, smoothly avoiding the curse she shot toward the door. He strode over and came to sit next to her on the bed, touching her hand lightly.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Do not apologize," he insisted for what seemed like the inth time. "What happened-,"

"Please," she whispered. "I'd rather pretend this didn't… happen."

He raised his hand to cup her cheek gently. "Dorogaya, you know very well that it will only damage you more if you ignore what you've been through."

"Antonin, we don't- I don't have time to- to process or… I have to get back to work," she insisted.

"Bertie has already ordered a leave of absence for us both," he said, stroking her cheek. "Two weeks, my Dorogaya."

She closed her eyes tightly and leaned into his touch. "Is it ever going to stop?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "But I will not stop protecting you till the day I die."

When the memory ended, they left her mind and sat there for a moment. After a bit of silence, he spoke. "What happened?"

Alexia grimaced. "It's… a long story. A man was obsessed with me, he kidnapped me, killed my squib father and multiple muggles and then killed me."

His eyebrows rose significantly. "He killed you?"

Her hand came up to her throat absently. "Yes. But I have a bond, a dark bond with Regulus and he was able to bring me back."

He paused again. "You love him very much."

"Antonin?" she nodded. "I do. I love him more than almost anything. Our lives have been very, very complicated, but we always find our way back to one another. I just- I just hope we can do it again."

"You will," he said with great determination. "Do you remember how you got back?"

Her eyes lit up brightly. "I do. I think we should have a meeting."

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